Short Term Vacation Rental Task Force Submits Its Recommendations to City Council

Short Term Vacation Rental Task Force Submits Its Recommendations to City Council

During the Study Session at the upcoming City Council Meeting scheduled on Wednesday, March 8th at 4:30 p.m., the Short Term Rental Task Force (STVR) will make its recommendations to the City Council on how best to amend the Municipal Code to better regulate short term vacation rentals in Cathedral City.

Recommendations include the following:
1. Prohibit apartment units from being used a vacation rentals.
2. Basic rules of vacation rentals must be written into the guest agreement.
3. STVR rules must be posted in the rental home.
4. Removal of fences between units to create a “compound” effect is prohibited.
5. STVR licenses may be suspended for repeat violations of the code.
6. Increased and graduated fine level for violations are authorized.
7. 60-day amnesty period for any STVR that has not obtained a City permit upon adoption of the ordinance. Once the amnesty period is over, the owner of any STVR that fails to obtain a permit may be fined $5,000 each time the unit is rented until such time as a vacation rental unit permit is obtained by the City.
8. Initial and annual inspections of the STVR are required.
9. Fines for failing to respond to STVR Hotline complaints.
10. A prohibition is established against filing a false complaint against a STVR.
11. Amended fines and fees will be established through an accompanying resolution.
12. Maximum number of overnight occupants based on the number of bedrooms.
13. Noise levels based on zoning and time of the day.
14. Raising the annual permit fee to cover City costs from $60 to $415.

To see all the recommendations and proposed ordinance language, please go to https://goo.gl/QfEsTH for more information.

Once presented, the City Council will request input from the public and then deliberate on how to proceed with the Task Force’s recommendations.